I have a firm belief that a hike is only truly rewarding if the final destination invoves a body of water, preferably a lake, generally of swimable temperatures.
However, in Northern California's Mount Lassen area, there is hike leading to Drakesbad, a boiling, sulferous lake that is always worth the walk.
Our annual trip here never fails to astound, and as you walk over the hard red dirt and past the safety barriers, you feel like you're walking on Mars.